SC - My kingdom for a hobby

[micaylah]

Thanks to Gen who gave me a heads up on this. A Reporter came out to one
of our Fighter Practices this past Sunday and did a small bit on it in
one of our "artsie papers". Its actually quite a funny read. There are a
couple of mistakes (like you get a Pelican for Service not Arts) but I
think the Reporter got the point..

Two friends of mine are the individuals that are reconstructing a Saxon
Mead Hall up on one of our Knights (Duke Sir Finnvarr) property
(Bonfield, not North Bay, Ont - Flaming Sky) using post-hole spacings
found in British excavations. As well the individual named herein
(Althewyn) is actually, Aelfwyn Longwood (she is a fighter and also can
do (or has tried) just about every other Art).

Micaylah

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My kingdom for a hobby
by Alex Mortimer
The Ottawa XPress

Things I learned during an hour in a suit of armour with the Society of
Creative Anachronism...

Shields are heavy.

If I dropped the shield and ran he'd catch me.

A blow to the head is actually the safest blow to take.

I could own an authentic reproduction steel helm, made in Ottawa, for
$150.

There are people building a Saxon house in North Bay using post-hole
spacings found in British excavations.

I can't hit him in the knee because he wants to go to work tommorrow.

I can have my own coat of arms on my shield if I clear the design with
the College of Heralds, who will make sure I have two distinct
differences.

The Society for Creative Anachronism started as a costume party in San
Francisco 35 years ago and got a little out of control.

It is hard to conduct a professional, confidence-inspiring radio
interview while wearing a steel great-helm.

The world is divided into 15 Kingdoms; each Kingdom has a king chosen
through tournament every six months. Once chosen, the king spends six
months as a prince where he learns the job.

I need a hobby where I can sit more.

Ottawa has one of the world's premier goatskin parchment and velum
makers.

I would not be allowed to take the name of an historical figure, (Norman
the Conqueror) or a fantasy figure (Conan the Barbarian) but, using a
little-known loophole, I could take the name Norman the Barbarian.

It is hard to get a guy to hold a microphone between two guys in armour
beating the snot out of each other.

I used to have a barber called Norman the Barbarian.

Receiving a blow to the head - the safest blow to receive - is a drag.

If I want to make my own armour, I should start with wax-hardened shoe
soles.

The man in the photo, Cennedi, was promoted to knight after many years
in the Society and a polling of the other knights of the kingdom.

Cennedi is a good fighter. When he fights, everybody watches.

Cennedi has a Squire who kindly let me use his armour.

I have a Mexican caddy whom I let use $200 in November and haven't seen
since.

One will blurt "Uncle" repeatedly after a blow to the head. There's no
way around it. I hadn't said "Uncle" in 25 years.

A lot of knights died from blunt trauma or from multiple small
contusions under the armour.

I could take Cennedi if I had a gun.

Fighting is the most visible aspect of the Society, but they replicate
all aspects of the period: the arts; the crafts; the engineering; the
food; clothing; and, sciences.

When you master a medieval science, like glass-blowing, you are called a
Pelican.

Some believe pelicans poke their chest with their beaks to feed their
young with their own blood.

You can't see dick-all through a closed-faced helm.

Monks used to make a liquor out of goat's milk that everyone agrees was
disgusting.

Rothgar believes the first two times in armour, everyone feels weird.
The third time, it all comes together.

Althewyn says I had good combat instincts.

There are people who have translated the English language into Klingon.

There are people who re-enact only a given summer in a given year in the
Middle Ages. They're crazy.

War of 1812 re-enactors sound like a humourless lot who believe the
Society for Creative Anachronism is too commercial.

I don't want to share a tent with anyone who can speak Klingon.

I had no idea escapism was this much work.